Tonga beat England in opening Rugby League World Cup match in Perth

Tonga beat England in the two teams' opening men's Rugby League World Cup match in Perth. England, coached by Brian McDermott, now need results from their remaining group games to reach the semi-finals.

BBC Sport reported the final score as Tonga 30, England 12. According to BBC Sport, England were ranked third in the world and Tonga fifth before the match.

Stefano Utoikamanu scored Tonga's first-half try. Isaiya Katoa converted it and kicked two penalties. Tonga led by 10 points at half-time. BBC Sport's scoreline shows 10-0. According to BBC Sport, the try came two minutes after England's Victor Radley knocked on near Tonga's line on 22 minutes, following a tackle by Tonga captain Jason Taumalolo.

AJ Brimson scored a try for England early in the second half. According to BBC Sport, a run by Dom Young, who held off two tacklers over 20 metres, set it up. Haumole Olakau'atu then scored two tries for Tonga. Tolutau Koula also scored in the second half. Young scored a try in the corner for England. Olakau'atu's second try came late in the match.

Tonga's supporters in Perth were strongly behind their team.

The six teams in Groups B and C share a combined table. The top two qualify for the semi-finals. England's remaining group games are against France and Papua New Guinea. According to BBC Sport, co-hosts Papua New Guinea beat Lebanon 42-18 in the day's other men's match.

According to The Guardian's analysis, England need Tonga to beat Samoa on 1 November and need to score heavily against Papua New Guinea and France to have a chance of qualifying. The Guardian reported that missing the semi-finals would be the first time England have not reached at least the final four. According to BBC Sport, England lost to Samoa in the semi-finals four years earlier.

In the women's tournament, England beat Wales 70-6 in their opening match, according to The Guardian.

What is disputed

• Number of Tonga tries. BBC Sport lists four tries, with Koula scoring once. The Guardian describes a second Koula try in the final moments, which would mean five. The Guardian's report does not give a final score. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include an official match record to resolve this.
• Olakau'atu's first try. BBC Sport says it followed his own grubber kick. The Guardian says a kick by Katoa created the space.

What each side says

The Guardian quoted McDermott as saying: "We opened them up in that first 20 and found ourselves in good positions, but we had some scrappy finishes." He added: "It was too erratic. Our gameplan doesn't need to change, we just need to be patient." According to The Guardian, he acknowledged that some of England's problems were of their own making.

The reports do not include any comment from Tonga's coach, players or captain.

Analysis

The result makes the combined Group B-C table harder for England. According to The Guardian's analysis, their path depends partly on a match they do not play: Tonga against Samoa on 1 November. If Tonga win that game, England could still qualify, provided they also score heavily against France and Papua New Guinea. If not, they risk an early exit. The reports do not explain the tie-break rules, so the exact margins needed remain unclear. McDermott's view that the gameplan should not change will be tested in England's next match. Tonga's win also strengthens their own position in the group.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.